Jamie Jordon
The time of year where campus is covered in colourful posters and an array of freebies are handed out is drawing closer – it’s Leadership Race season.
The Students’ Union is led by students for students. From sports clubs and societies, to green initiatives and volunteering, to academic representation and advice – The Students’ Union coordinates this and much more.
The Leadership Race gives you the chance to shape and direct what The Students’ Union does, what we campaign on, and what we raise with the University. We have numerous positions you can stand for – 5 Full-Time, and 14 Part-Time. If you don’t feel that running in elections is for you, then make sure you engage with the week and vote!
It would be a lie to say elections week isn’t tiring, stressful and hard work. However, it is a really good experience. You have the opportunity to meet new people, visit different campuses, and speak to so many students. You’ll gain so much more confidence and many other skills from the election week alone.
A typical day is almost impossible to pinpoint and that’s one of the reasons why these positions are so fun yet rewarding. One day you’ll be covered in paint powder from the colour run, the next you could be handing out free contraception, or sitting in high up University meetings. VP Education, of all the roles, probably sits in the most meetings championing the views of students.
The experience from the role is hard to put succinctly into words – there’s so much involved. You’re a director, a trustee, you represent over 27,000 students, you sit on meetings with University directorate, you speak to so many students, you represent The Students’ Union at external conferences and events, you play a part in the national student movement – the list is never ending. From this, you learn so much – confidence, public speaking, finance and budgets, strategic planning, executing campaigns, negotiation, and so much more.
So if you’re interested in standing for any of the positions, drop myself of the elections team an email. If you don’t feel it’s for you, then that’s fine – just make sure you vote!